Maybe it's the leather seats or the free parking. But of all the movie theaters in the US and Canada, AMC Burbank 30 had the most lucrative box office in 2025.
The combined efforts of the three movie theaters, less than a mile apart (AMC Burbank 16 and Town Centers 6 and 8), generated the highest box office numbers, according to Comscore. The AMC in New York's Lincoln Square came in second place. Overall, the theater chain holds seven of the top 10 grossing box offices in the U.S. and Canada, with four locations in Los Angeles, two in New York and one in Florida.
LA AMC's locations in The Grove, Century City and CityWalk ranked five, six and eight, respectively.
“AMC's enduring success in Los Angeles is driven by several factors, including the size of the market, the enthusiasm of the Hollywood community and local audiences to see movies on the big screen, and AMC's focus on delivering a high-quality movie experience,” a spokesperson for the theater chain said in a statement to the Times.
“Across the region, AMC locations regularly offer a diverse slate of movies spanning major studio releases, independent titles and AMC Artisan Films.”
AMC has had a presence in Southern California since 1969, when it opened its first West Coast location in La Habra. In the mid-1980s, the movie theater chain grew significantly and opened multiplexes in Burbank and Century City. There are now 36 locations in the greater Los Angeles market.
Daniel Loria, senior vice president at Box Office Company, a movie data analytics firm, said the fact that Los Angeles and New York are the most profitable cities is not surprising. Many studios and movie theaters often use the two largest metropolitan areas to evaluate which markets to expand into and how long a film will run in theaters.
“This industry really depends on the power of those two cities to keep everyone going,” Loria said, referring to the film business.
“These are the capitals of cinema. You can see this concentration within that top 10 because of the indexing performance they have, not only at a local level, but also at a global level.”
The number of films shown in larger cities also plays a key role in box office takings. Loria said that in some regions of the country, local theaters will only show three or four movies at a time. While in larger markets there is more diversity in screenings and more opportunities to go see a movie, since theaters tend to be larger and have more screens. Beyond the number of screens, a film's visual format is also an important factor in profits and ticket prices.
When watching a movie in a premium format, such as IMAX or Dolby Cinema 3D, at an AMC, an adult ticket can range from $25 to $30 on a weekend, while a standard format would cost around $18. Many movie theaters in Los Angeles have these high-quality screens, which can boost box office gross sales more than other theaters that don't offer a premium viewing experience.
Paul Dergarabedian, head of market trends at Comscore, said major movie theater chains typically have more pulling power when their locations have high-quality screenings available.
“What is surprising is how premium formats are generating impressive box office. [sales] “Even in a time of price sensitivity among consumers,” Dergarabedian said. “Savvy moviegoers understand that the upcharge is worth the investment, especially with films that are epic in scope and are best viewed in the grander format offered at their local theater.”
In recent years, movie membership passes have helped draw audiences to theaters more consistently. AMC's A-List membership allows subscribers to watch up to four movies per week, for the monthly price of $27.99. There are almost 1 million celebrities.
“The greater Los Angeles area is also home to a highly engaged AMC Stubs A-List member base that makes going to the movies a priority,” an AMC spokesperson wrote. “The connection between AMC, Hollywood and Los Angeles moviegoers continues to benefit our studio partners, filmmakers and audiences.”
